Chapter 204: A Reunion

Azure Ethereal Peak, Grand Bamboo Summit.

Outside the Hall of Tranquil Vigilance, the disciples of Grand Bamboo Summit, from Song Daren to Du Bishu, stood in a line, their faces etched with worry and concern, glancing anxiously towards the hall.

After a while, the sound of footsteps echoed from within the Hall of Tranquil Vigilance. A woman emerged—Wen Min from Lesser Bamboo Summit. The disciples of Grand Bamboo Summit quickly gathered around her. Song Daren, being familiar with Wen Min, glanced behind her and asked in a low voice, “How is my master’s wife?”

Wen Min nodded and replied softly, “Aunt Su is fine now. The sudden fainting when she returned was due to extreme worry, as my master said. She has already woken up, and my master is with her inside.”

The disciples all breathed a sigh of relief, but none could bring themselves to be truly happy. Du Bishu, with a grimace, said, “This is truly a bolt from the blue. Our master has gone missing, and now even our master’s wife almost had an accident…”

“Shut up!” Song Daren frowned and snapped. Du Bishu gave a wry smile and shook his head, saying nothing. Song Daren turned to Wen Min and asked, “Did Aunt Su leave any instructions for us?”

Wen Min shook her head, “No, Aunt Su only spoke a few words to my master in a low voice. After that, my master asked me to leave, as if there was something they didn’t want me to know.”

Song Daren, frowning, said, “This… this…”

Seeing his distress, Wen Min felt a twinge of sympathy and advised, “Senior Brother Song, don’t worry too much. Whatever happens, Aunt Su and my master are still here. Now that things have taken a turn, Aunt Su looks exhausted. You need to take on more responsibilities.”

Song Daren sighed and nodded, “You’re right.” After a moment, he turned to the other disciples and said, “Alright, since we know Aunt Su is safe, there’s no need for everyone to stand here. If she finds out, it will only add to her worries. Let’s all return to our rooms and continue with our studies. I’ll stay here and keep watch.”

Wu Dayi, He Daizhi, and Du Bishu exchanged glances. After a brief silence, Wu Dayi, the second disciple, nodded and said, “That sounds good. We’ll follow Senior Brother Song’s advice.” Turning to Song Daren, he added, “Senior Brother, I’ll come back later to relieve you.”

Song Daren was about to refuse, but He Daizhi patted his shoulder and said, “Senior Brother, you told us to rest, so don’t take your own health lightly. Aunt Su wouldn’t like that.”

Song Daren smiled bitterly and nodded. Gradually, the others dispersed, leaving Song Daren and Wen Min standing outside the Hall of Tranquil Vigilance, both lost in thought.

They exchanged a glance. Wen Min’s face suddenly blushed, and she lowered her head. Song Daren coughed, feeling his heart race. He composed himself, forcing a laugh, and said, “Wen… Junior Sister, weren’t you in the Southern Frontier with Lu Xueqi from Lesser Bamboo Summit? How did you return so soon?”

Wen Min shook her head, “I went to the Southern Frontier, not planning to return so soon. But something strange happened, and after discussing it with Junior Sister Lu, we felt it was serious. I came back to report to my master and the elders, while she stayed behind to observe the situation.”

Song Daren was surprised, “What could be so important?”

Wen Min hesitated, looked around, then leaned close to Song Daren and whispered in his ear. As she spoke, Song Daren’s face changed, and by the time she finished, he stood there, sighing deeply, “Now you know why I had to return.”

Song Daren’s expression was a mix of anxiety and confusion. After a long pause, he muttered, “Indeed, this is a time of many troubles.”

Wen Min remained silent for a moment, then whispered, “Who can disagree? It seems like one wave hasn’t settled before another rises. And now, with the incident in our sect, it’s even worse. Sigh.”

She sighed, and Song Daren stood beside her, suddenly noticing how frail and slender she looked, and he moved closer.

Wen Min, deep in thought, seemed unaware, but her lips curved slightly, though she said nothing, simply standing quietly.

Two figures, silent and still, stood outside the Hall of Tranquil Vigilance on Grand Bamboo Summit.

In the distance, the bamboo groves of Grand Bamboo Summit rustled, and the warm sunlight shone down, casting a beautiful scene of a clear, azure sky, a perfect day.

In the secluded chambers of the Hall of Tranquil Vigilance, two women sat facing each other. Master Water Moon, after a long silence, said, “Junior Sister, why don’t you lie down for a bit?”

Su Ru slowly shook her head, her face showing signs of fatigue, but her voice was firm and low, “I won’t go. Even if I do, I won’t be able to sleep.”

Master Water Moon sighed, “Junior Sister, don’t worry too much. As I said, Tian Yibu and Elder Shang disappeared at the same time. Since you didn’t see them in any real danger, don’t let your imagination run wild. Besides, although Daoxuan Elder has been acting strangely, his cultivation and mental fortitude are far above ours. He and Tian Yibu are old friends, and he wouldn’t do anything reckless.”

Su Ru remained silent, her eyes slightly red.

Master Water Moon shook her head, stood up, and paced the room, clearly troubled. Even ordinary disciples could see the chaos in the Azure Ethereal Vapors, let alone the elders who knew some of the inner workings.

Su Ru forced a smile and changed the subject, “Sister, why did you suddenly go to the Heaven-Reaching Peak today?”

Master Water Moon said irritably, “It’s all because of that troublesome matter with Cloud Easy Lian from the Incense Burner Valley. I was supposed to discuss it with the Sect Leader, but this major incident happened, and even the leader disappeared.”

Su Ru frowned, “Cloud Easy Lian, the Valley Lord of the Incense Burner Valley? What does he have to do with us?”

Master Water Moon sneered, “Do you know that my disciples, Lu Xueqi and Wen Min, went to the Southern Frontier to investigate the demon beasts?”

Su Ru nodded, “Yes, I was wondering why Wen Min returned so quickly. Did Lu Xueqi return as well?”

Master Water Moon shook her head, “Xueqi hasn’t returned. They discussed it and decided that Wen Min would come back first to report to me.”

Su Ru asked, “What happened?”

Master Water Moon said, “When they visited Cloud Easy Lian in the Southern Frontier, he suddenly asked if the Immortalbane Nexus, our sacred weapon, was damaged!”

Su Ru’s face paled, “What?”

Master Water Moon laughed coldly, “You’re surprised too, right? When I heard, I was shocked. How could Cloud Easy Lian, miles away, know such a great secret? Remember how careful Daoxuan Elder was to keep it from leaking?”

Su Ru, worried, sighed, “Bad news travels fast.”

Master Water Moon paced, “And, have you thought about why Cloud Easy Lian would say such a thing to those young ones?”

Su Ru nodded slowly, “I’ve been thinking about it. If he were genuinely concerned about the righteous path, he should have kept it a secret; if not, he should have been more discreet, waiting for the right moment.”

“Exactly!” Master Water Moon huffed, “That’s the problem. Cloud Easy Lian seems to have done something foolish, but what does he really want?”

Su Ru, lost in thought, suddenly rubbed her temples, wincing in pain. Master Water Moon rushed to her side, apologizing, “Look at me, adding to your worries. I won’t say anymore…”

Su Ru smiled bitterly, “Sigh… If it were the past, with the Sect Leader in charge, we wouldn’t fear these things. But now, the Azure Ethereal Vapors are in disarray, and the outside world is in chaos, with many enemies watching us. I don’t know what to do…”

Master Water Moon, frowning, said softly, “Junior Sister, don’t say that. Look at how tired you are. As I said, although Daoxuan Elder has been acting strangely, his cultivation and mental strength are formidable. We don’t need to fear anything.”

Su Ru shook her head, “Sister, you don’t understand. Although Daoxuan Elder is strong, the Immortalbane Nexus is a dangerous weapon, and its power increases with the strength of its wielder. His cultivation may be high, but he might be deeper in the abyss…”

Master Water Moon was stunned, “What do you mean?”

Su Ru, startled, realized she had spoken too much. Master Water Moon, frowning, approached her and said sternly, “Junior Sister, tell me everything about the Immortalbane Nexus.”

Su Ru, after a long silence, sighed, “Alright, it’s too late to hide it now. Sister, I’ll tell you. This all happened over a hundred years ago…”

Deep in the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression in the Southern Frontier.

Reunited, after the initial greetings, Bai Xiao and Gui Li found themselves at a loss for words. Only Hui Gray, the monkey perched on Gui Li’s shoulder, seemed overjoyed, grinning widely.

Gui Li suddenly tensed, remembering something, and looked back, seeing only darkness. He frowned and asked, “What did you do to the woman who came with me?”

Bai Xiao snorted, “What could I do? You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

Gui Li, after a moment of silence, shook his head, not wanting to dwell on the issue. “Anyway, why are you here? After you left, I never heard from you. I even inquired secretly when I came to the Southern Frontier, but found no trace of you.”

Bai Xiao smiled, her figure shimmering in the green light, “Didn’t I tell you, I was looking for the Eight Evil Fire Array for you?”

Gui Li said, “I remember, so I also went to the Incense Burner Valley’s Fire Altar, but found nothing. Why are you here in the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression?”

Bai Xiao shrugged, “I came here for the array, and to visit an old friend.”

Gui Li, pondering, asked, “Are you saying that…?”

Bai Xiao nodded, “Yes, after the array at the Incense Burner Valley was destroyed, the only complete Eight Evil Fire Array left is here in the Ancient Cave of Demon Suppression. And my old friend is also here.”

Gui Li’s expression changed, “Your old friend… could it be…?”

Bai Xiao smiled, “Yes, the one you call the King of the Beast Demons, the Beast God.”

Gui Li, somewhat expecting it, was still taken aback, unsure of what to say.

After a while, Gui Li said, “How do you know him?”

Bai Xiao, with a gentle smile, her eyes clear and slightly mocking, said, “Don’t you know, I’m an old demon. Being old, I know many things and have met many monsters.”

Gui Li fell silent. Bai Xiao glanced at him, “Why are you here? You said the Ghost King sent you with that woman. What’s his plan?”

Gui Li shook his head, “The Ghost King sent me to subdue a beast, the Taotie, and bring it back to him, not to kill the Beast God.”

Bai Xiao, surprised, asked, “Not to kill him? Then why send you all the way here?”

Gui Li said, “He wants me to capture the Taotie, a strange beast, and bring it back to him.”

“Taotie?”

Bai Xiao, puzzled, thought for a moment and muttered, “Odd, when did he become interested in the Taotie?”

Gui Li said, “I don’t know. That’s the order he gave, and I’m following it.”